It's Not Over

29.

Meredith spotted Alex at the Nurse's Station and approached him.

"Hey Alex." She said.

Alex turned and scrutinized her. She blushed over his knowing gaze.

"What?" She said embarrassed.

"Since you have gone public does this mean I can get laid now?" He asked.

"What? Who says we have gone public?" She asked panicked. Sure, 'Bernie' knew, but surely he didn't spread it around the whole hospital and then there were the nurses when Derek said he loved her...oh shit. Yeah, they were now public. "Was it Gregory or the nurses?"

"Neither. It was the very loud screaming cumming out of his office this morning." He said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh god tell me you're fucking with me?" She said horrified.

"No, but it seems Shepherd is." He grinned.

"Shut up now." She demanded.

"But Mer, I am just getting started." Alex whined playfully. He dodged her flailing arm, barely avoiding it.

"I hate you." She said.

"You love me and you suck...or so I have been told." He said.

She glared at him and advanced towards him. He scooted out of her reach and backed down the hall, laughing the whole way.

******************

Meredith sat at lunch later that day, trying to ignore the staring and pointing. This was her intern year all over again and just like before it was because of Derek. A tray plopped down at her table and she looked up to glare at the offender and instead was shocked.

"Thought I would make the tongues really wag." Addison said, smiling kindly. "If you don't mind."

"Um...no. I mean yes. You can sit here." Meredith rambled.

"See the way I figure, if vultures see the ex wife and the new girlfriend being nice...they will talk about that instead of the audible porn show they got this morning...live from Derek's office." Addison said.

"Oh god you heard about that?" Meredith said, humiliated.

"No, I actually heard it...my office is next door and the walls are paper thin." Addison pointed out.

"I am so..."

"Do not apologize. I asked you to give him a chance and you did. He looks...happier, but not like I would expect him to look. So what's the problem?" Addison asked directly.

Meredith shrugged.

"I am leaving soon."

"Is Derek going with you?"

"No. Why would he? His life is here...in New York. And my life is in Seattle..." Meredith said.

"His life is where you are and you know it. You two are like magnets...totally aligned and reactive to each other."

"It's over between us. We are just...I mean..." Meredith sputtered.

"What? Having fun, scratching an itch? You are a fucking liar Meredith Grey." Addison hissed. "You love him and you know it."

"And as I have told you, Addison Montgomery, I can't do this again. I can't let him hurt me. It almost killed me the first time. So mind your own business." Meredith hissed back, getting up and leaving the cafeteria.

Addison leaned back in her chair and crossed on shapely leg.

"Well, that could have went better." She muttered to herself.